unsolvedmysteriesfandomcom-20200215-history
Rena Paquette
Real Name: Rena R. Ferland Paquette Nicknames: No Known Nicknames Location: Hookset, New Hampshire Date: February 3, 1964 Case Details: In January of 1964, the body of fourteen-year-old Pamela Mason was found in the town of Hooksett, New Hampshire--four years after the body of Sandra Valade was discovered. Both girls had disappeared during snowstorms and were found raped and murdered, their belongings scattered around town. A forty-seven year old housewife named Rena Paquette claimed to know the identity of the girls' killer, but the police didn't act on her tip. On the morning of February 3, Rena's thirteen-year-old son Danny came down for breakfast and found that his mother was not home. He called his uncle and the two searched for her throughout their farm. They figured something was wrong because it was a cold morning and she had left her winter clothing behind. After searching for over an hour, Danny noticed smoke coming from their barn, which was one mile from the family home. Inside the barn was Rena's burnt body; this was the same barn that she claimed one of the girls was murdered in. Surprisingly, the police ruled her death a suicide; however, her family believes that she was murdered by the same man that killed Pamela and Sandra. A few weeks after Rena's death, a local delivery man named Edward Coolidge was arrested for Pamela's murder. He was later convicted of the murder and sentenced to life in prison. Danny was deeply affected by his mother's death. As he grew up, he became closer to his brother, Victor. Danny's adolescence and adult life were troubled. He married and became a father, but in 1981, he and his wife divorced. In a bitter legal battle, he lost custody of his children. In the summer of 1981, after becoming frustrated that he could not see his children, he went to his ex-wife's home and demanded to be let in. She called the police and he was taken into custody. After the outburst, Danny was sent to a psychiatric hospital. Under hypnosis, Danny revealed that he had seen his mother arguing with a delivery man on the day that she was killed. He later claimed that the man was Edward Coolidge, the murderer of Pamela Mason. However, Rena's case was not re-opened. Five months later, Danny was released from the hospital and tried to change his life for the better. On November 9, 1985, he was repairing a bulldozer while his two friends were working in the garage. At around 11 am, his friends heard a loud pop. They found him lying on the ground; he was shot in the back and had been killed instantly. Near the site where Danny was killed, police found footprints that they believe belonged to the killer, who had apparently ran from the scene. The bullet that killed Danny was found in a nearby telephone line. The authorities investigated the possibility that Danny had died accidentally and was shot by hunters in a local gravel pit. The gravel pit was approximately one mile from the area where he was shot. However, that theory was later discounted because of the distance and obstacles that bullet would have traveled. Some of Danny's friends and family now believe that the same person who killed Danny was responsible for his mother's death years earlier. However, Danny and Rena's deaths remain a mystery. Suspects: Rena's family believes that Edward Coolidge was responsible for her death. She apparently had information that led her to suspect him in the deaths of Pamela Mason and Sandra Valade. She had even received a phone call from someone who claimed that Pamela had been killed in the Paquette's barn. Extra Notes: This segment originally aired on the October 24, 1990 episode of Unsolved Mysteries. Results: Unresolved. In 1991, Rena's body was exhumed and her cause of death was changed from "suicide" to "undetermined". The medical examiner noted that homicide was a possibility. After the exhumation, an employee for the medical examiner's office located the original autopsy report. It stated that semen was found on Rena's body and there was evidence her arms had been bound. Also, someone had placed two logs outside the door of the barn so it could not be opened from inside. Furthermore, a retired officer stated that he and other investigators did not believe Rena committed suicide when they investigated back in 1964. However, they were ordered to "forget" their suspicions of murder. Edward Coolidge, the man serving time for Pamela Mason's murder, was released in March of 1991 due to a legal technicality. In 2005, a man named Eric Windhurst was arrested and charged with Danny's murder. At the time of the murder, he had been dating Danny's step-daughter Melanie Paquette Cooper. When originally questioned, the two claimed that they were at a field hockey game at the time of the murder. However, Melanie later admitted to being with Eric when he killed Danny. She also claimed that Danny had sexually abused her, and that Eric killed him because of this. Surprisingly, Eric's family members told police that they had known about him committing the murder, as it had been an "open secret" among the family. Melanie Cooper served fifteen months for hindering the investigation into her father's murder. Eric Windhurst pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to fifteen to thirty six years in prison. Eric Windhurst could be released as early as 2020. Rena's death is still a mystery; however, her family is convinced that Coolidge was responsible. Links: * Possibility of suicide in fiery death of woman * Family rejects suicide verdict * Old files shed new light on Manchester woman's death * Two deaths haunt a N.H. family * Mysterious deaths shake up family * Rena Paquette at Find a Grave ---- Category:New Hampshire Category:1964 Category:Murder Category:Suspicious Deaths Category:Arson Category:Fire-Related Cases Category:Unresolved